Amy C Walters

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth – Luke 4:14-30

At the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, he faces intense anger and opposition. But Jesus does not give up. Because he is grounded in God’s Word and guarded by God’s protection.

Right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he faces some harsh rejection and opposition. And it comes from the people that were the closest to him; neighbors, family members, people that he had done carpentry jobs for, people he grew up with.

How would it feel if you were at the start of something new and exciting, and you faced opposition like this? It would be so discouraging. It might even cause you to question, what am I doing, is this the right path?

It would be terrifying to face such an angry mob. These people intended to kill Jesus.

But Jesus does not give in. And today, we’re going to look at why and how. 

Our first hint of opposition comes after Jesus has read from Isaiah and done some teaching. The people then ask, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 

Jesus then says, “Surely you will quote the proverb to me, ‘physician, heal yourself.’ Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.” 

Notice that the people don’t say these words out loud, but Jesus anticipates what is going on in their minds. Then he brings it to the surface. He speaks it out so that it’s recognized by everyone.

Jesus also voices their expectations. “You are expecting me to do miracles here, just like I did in Capernaum.”

Some might have argued he could have got so many more followers if he just did those miracles, and then they would have believed in him, and then they would have accepted him. But Jesus knows what his role is.

He has just taught from Isaiah 61, the passage that says, “The sovereign Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” Jesus recognizes his primary ministry is preaching and proclaiming the good news. Yes, he’s going to do miracles, but that’s not the primary thing he has come for. He knows his mission because it is based in Scripture. He can look to Scripture to remember and to know what he has come for so that he is not pulled by these expectations in other directions.

I am a pastor’s wife, so I understand about expectations. I am also a people pleaser, and so I often bow to those expectations. I like people to like me. Sometimes that means I have a really hard time saying no, and I get pulled in many different directions and lose the focus of what I really should be doing.

Jesus does not bow to the expectations, does not seek to please the people. He knows from Scripture what his mission is, and he sticks to it.

Next Jesus says, “No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” He already knows what their attitude is going to be. And yet, he still goes to them, still shares this message with them, still gives them the opportunity to respond appropriately. He reveals to us the mercy of God.

Jesus goes on to tell two stories from Scripture, the one about Elijah and the widow, and the one about Elisha and Naaman. He starts his whole message by reading from Isaiah and he ends it with two stories from the Old Testament. 

Jesus is dependent on the Word of God. He is grounded in the Bible. That’s what guides his mission. That’s how he defends it and explains it when people think he’s not doing it right. 

But those stories get the crowd angry. They don’t like the idea that Gentiles respond better than they did. And so in fury, they got up and they drove Jesus out of town. They take him to the brow of the hill on which the city is built in order to throw Jesus down the cliff.

Now, this actually is a little bit of an echo from the previous passage about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. If you remember, Luke ended that temptation story with the devil taking Jesus to the highest part of the temple and telling him to throw himself down because God has promised to protect him. If you’ve read about Jesus’ temptation in any of the other gospels, you’ll see that Luke has changed the order. The scene of Jesus standing on the highest point of the temple is actually the second temptation that Jesus faced. But Luke has put it third, possibly to tie it to this story, where you have the crowd that has come and is ready to throw Jesus down the cliff.

You see, Jesus doesn’t need to manufacture situations for God to protect him. He doesn’t need to create a false situation to prove God’s protection. His ministry is going to put him in dangerous situations where God will prove it. And so Jesus didn’t need to test God at the top of the temple, but he did trust God to protect him in the midst of his ministry.

And God does protect him. Even though this crowd has dragged Jesus to the edge of the cliff, somehow he’s able to just walk right through and go on his way.

It’s ironic because the people are insisting that Jesus do a miracle, but the miracle they get is Jesus’ escape. 

Our key truth for today is that Jesus is grounded in God’s Word and guarded by God’s protection. There were several things at the very start of Jesus’ ministry that could have derailed him. But his reliance on Scripture and his trust in God kept him focused and fearless. 

This is important to us today because we too as Jesus’ followers are going to face rejection. And sometimes that rejection comes from the people who are closest to us, who we trust, family, friends, religious leaders.

But we learn from Jesus how to not give up in the face of that rejection. Jesus leaves his hometown and continues ministering. He is not deterred by this situation. He doesn’t let the discouragement or the fear cause him to quit.

Now keep in mind, God’s protection doesn’t mean that bad things wouldn’t happen to Jesus. There will be other times when people seek to kill Jesus, but God will not allow it. God’s protection means that nothing happens that is outside of God’s control, and that even when bad things happen, God can bring good out of it.

Today as you go, I want you to share this story with someone. You may be rejected in the process, but remember, Jesus was rejected too, and he didn’t let it stop him because he was grounded in God’s Word and guarded by God’s protection.